Conventional three-point automobile seat belts are normally provided with one original strap with a latch plate slidably positioned there along. When pulled, the latch plate divides the original strap into two straps, a waist strap and a shoulder harness or strap. To use the seat belt, an individual pulls the latch plate and fastens the latch plate to a buckle secured to a side of the automobile seat. When the latch plate is pulled, it slides along the original strap to adjust the respective lengths of the waist strap and the shoulder strap to the body size of the individual. When the latch plate is fastened to the buckle, the waist or abdomen strap is wrapped about the individual's waist to prevent the individual from being dislodged from the seat in the event of an accident. The shoulder strap is wrapped about the individual's shoulder and chest to prevent the individual's upper body and head from being thrown forward.
The term "waist strap" is used herein to describe the strap which secures the lower body of the individual to the seat. Depending on the physique of a particular individual, this strap may be either wrapped about the individual's waist or abdomen. In either case, the strap performs the same function.
Conventional automobile seat belts are well-adapted for use with adults of normal height. However, these conventional seat belts are not well suited for individuals who are very short, such as, for example, children who have out-grown conventional child restraining devices. When a conventional seat belt is fastened in place about a child, the slidable latch plate adjusts in a manner which may allow for the waist strap to hold securely the child's lower body in the seat. However, the shoulder strap will typically extend across the child's neck, face or both because his or her upper body is not quite as long as that of a taller person.
A shoulder strap which overhangs a child's neck or face is very annoying, uncomfortable, and dangerous. Because the shoulder strap is annoying and uncomfortable, it discourages the use of the seat belt. To avoid the overhanging shoulder strap, a child may wear the seat belt improperly by placing the shoulder strap behind his or her back so that it does not interfere with his or her face. This defeats the purpose of a shoulder strap because the child's upper body and head may be thrown forward in an accident.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device which is adaptable for use with a conventional three-point seat belt for adjusting the position of the shoulder strap so that it does not interfere with a child's face, which is simple for installation, and which encourages a child to use his or her seat belt properly.